Golden Blood
by InsaneGravity
Summary: Mare and Maven rejected the Scarlet Guard and consequentially, Cal has been killed as well as the King. Now, years later, King Maven and Queen Mareena have had a son- and his combination of powered Red and Silver can have unintended, Golden, results. Rated T, although may change in future.
1. Prologue

Prologue

A sound awakened Mare from her slumber. Maven walked in and sat down on her bed. "Listen..." He started. Mare interrupted him. "I know what I'm doing. The Scarlet Guard... well, it just wasn't the right choice." They thought back to the night before, when Mare and Maven had walked out on Farley. "Good." Maven sighed. "I need to tell you something." "What?" Mare asked, her curiosity piqued. Maven looked down. "Promise not to tell..." Mare sighed. "Look, if I'm going to be your wife, then we have to keep each others secrets!" Maven smiled. "Okay. Here goes. Well... you know I want change in the land?" Mare nodded silently. "Me and my mother... we have a plan. We... we are going to overthrow..." His voice trailed off. Mare put he hand on his. "As your future wife, I will support you. I will stay by your side." Maven bowed, then put on his best pompous voice. "Thank you, Lady Titanos." Mare smiled. "You know that's not my name."


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

 **A/N: Got some "Constructive Criticism" which really was quite useful, so I'm going to update each chapter and change some things around to improve the overall quality of the story.**

"Again," the booming voice of my instructor calls out. I grit my teeth, and try to fire again, but to no avail. "Shut up, Uncle." I hiss. Uncle Shade appears beside me. "Don't talk to your instructor like that!" He exclaims, mock offended.

"I'm the heir, I can do what I want."

Shade just smiles at me and shifts back to his post. "Again!" He calls cheerfully. I focus my mind and try to throw a blast of lightning at him, only to find all the electricity has disappeared from the room. That could only mean one thing. Damn. I was in trouble. She was coming closer and closer, cameras blinking out down the hallway.  
"Uncle? I could use some help," I quietly mutter.

Shade sighs. "What did you do this time? Sneak out again?"

I nod, and slowly spin around to find Mother standing there, a look of fury in her eyes. This wasn't good. "What, exactly, do you think you were doing last night?" she seeths, glaring at me.

"Mom, chill, I was just hanging out!"

"Just hanging out? CHILL? You are the prince! You shouldn't be gallivanting around like you don't care about assassins and the like!" Shade stifles a laugh. "And you!" She yells, turning to him. "You were the one who took him there! If I could have caught you I would have given you a punishment worse than our mother ever could have done!" Wow. When she gets mad, she really gets mad. It's like, I don't know, think of a bull that's just seen a red flag. It's a timid creature compared to her.

She turns back to me and draws in a breath, but I stop her. "Mom! I'm trained!"

"Not enough!" she throws back.

"Cal used to go out all the-"

She stops me with a glare. "We do NOT talk about him in this family." Her voice, instead of yelling at me, has dropped to a cold, ominous tone that somehow is infinitely scarier than when she was screaming.

"Okay, but you used to go out!"

"I went out once. I was also raised as a Red girl, and a pickpocket. I knew those streets like the back of my hand, and I was never caught. In fact, the one time I was caught was by the prince, and look what happened to him." I shiver as I think of my uncle's execution. I mean, now Red people had higher status than they used to, but still, it was a gruesome end for the King's only brother.

"Now go to your quarters! If you weren't anatomically special- or my own blood, for that matter- then I may even have you killed!" She's exaggerating, of course, but she does mean damage- she rarely pulls up the fact that I'm a genetic anomaly. The result of powered Red genes mixed with blood from a strong Silver lineage had resulted with my blood being, well, Gold. I had developed powers, of course- not only my mother's electricity, but my father's fire as well. Just like Mother and her lightning, I could create fire out of nothing. Something not even Father could do. "Fine" I mutter. She grabbed my arm before I left. "And don't get Shade to jump you! You walk back to your room, and if you leave there will be trouble!" I shake her off and storm away, angrily cursing under my breath.

When I arrive back at my room Father is waiting on my bed. I bow to him. "Your highness" I mutter darkly. He jumps up and claps me on my back. "Don't be mad at your mother. She just wants to keep you safe" I frown. "Oh, cheer up. I'm taking you on a hunting trip!" I look up, my heart beating in excitement.

"Really? Did you talk to Mom about it?"

"Well… not at all, but I'm the King. She can't oppose me, right?"


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

 **A/N: Continuing with the updates. Will address more issues, but overall thanks for the positive feedback.**

"NO! ABSOLUTELY NOT!" Queen Mareena screams.

"But Dad's responsible! And technically he overrules you!" I try.

"I don't care if he's the emperor of the whole bloody world, I won't let him take you out of the palace!"

"But we're only going down near the Stilts, and we're leaving the summer palace soon!" Mother exhales. "Fine. But tell your father that if anything happens to you I'm going to personally blow his head off!"

"I think he already knows!" a voice says from the doorway. I turn around to see who it was. "Grandmother!" I scream excitedly as I run forward and hug her. Mother's mouth straightens into a grim line.

"Well, if it isn't the exalted Queen Mareena" my grandmother Elara says with a small smile. "Hello, Mother" she responds coldly.

"Come on! Don't be like that. I am your mother, and the previous Queen" Grandmother replies. Mother huffs.

"Only by marriage- fortunately not by blood."

"Don't listen to her" Elara's voice speaks in my mind. "No matter what she says I still love her, just a little" I smile. This form of conversation with my grandmother was only available to my father and I. Grandmother did not wish her thoughts shared with others. She goes on. "I'm sure my son knows what lies in store for him – everyone in the palace probably heard it. Besides, it would only take the hyperactive young heir a few minutes to go find him and tell him the news".

On the way out I run into another friendly face: My aunt, Gisa. Mother's actually happy to see this one. They embrace, and I remember the story Mother told me. Back when Mother was a Red – not saying that's a bad thing, blood equality and all that – She was a pickpocket. One day, in fact the day before she came to the court, her and Gisa were in the city for some reason or another. Gisa tried to steal something – I can barely imagine my mother ever being poor – and the police broke her hand. She had got an apprenticeship sowing, and this almost ruined her career. Of course, after mother became Queen, she got the best skin healers to fix her hand. That reminds me of my other brothers, Bree and Tramy. If Gisa's here, they must be too. They usually live in a renovated house down in the Stilts. Don't come up here much – Well, my grandparents anyway. They say they prefer to be out in the open instead of in the stuffy palace.

Sure enough, when I walk into the dining hall to grab some food, I find my uncles in the kitchens. No doubt trying to take some of the best cuts of lamb. As some of the adults down in the Stilts say, "Mischievous little buggers". Bree pops his head out and spies me, and they come rushing over for a hug. Once the urge for embraces has passed, they start conversation. "So, what have you been up to?" Tramy asks. I shrug.

"Stuff," I say, and try to grab some of the beer that they're sharing. Bree pushes my hand away. "If your mother finds out, we're dead. Doesn't matter that we're related." I smile. "Don't tempt me". As a serving girl walks past Tramy nicks a cake off a platter. He breaks it and hands some to me. I shove it in my mouth, glad to be with the two people I can ignore court etiquette with. Bree laughs at my infringement. "Our little prince! However could you eat like that!" He gasps in mock dismay. "But seriously. What are you doing?" These are my uncles – I can tell them. "Well… Dad's taking me on a hunting trip!" Tramy frowns.

"And Mare was fine with this?"

I grin. "If anything happens to me, it's Dad's head on the block!". Tramy laughs, a short bark that somehow still contains more happiness than I can usually muster. They have a gift, too. They are the most optimistic people I have ever met. And I've met a lot of people. As Shade once said, "They've laughed death in the face and Death laughed with them!" I admire their attitude.

Leaving them to keep stealing food, I wander to the entry hall to meet our newest guest. Once I arrive I find Mother has beaten me there. She stands, embracing Father's only sister, Evangeline Samos. Technically we aren't related, since Cal died a long time ago, but Evangeline is the sister Mother never knew she wanted until she had her. Eying them now, I can't believe they used to hate each other. Father told me one time Evangeline nearly killed Mother in a training session. My entry is not unnoticed, as Evangeline turns to me and I brace for what may happen next, expecting the usual 'Pinch-your-cheeks-you're-so-cute'. I'm only half right, as instead of pinching my cheeks she sweeps me up in a hug. "Oh! It's been so long! The last time I saw you..." I wriggle out of her grip. "Uh, Aunty? It's only been two years." Her eyes sparkle. "And in those two years you've grown at least a foot." She's exaggerating, I've only gone up by about 8 inches. Still, she enjoys having a child to fuss over. She never got remarried after Cal died. People say that she used to be bloodthirsty and ruthless, but after the incident she became, to quote half the court, "So nice I swear she's possessed." Mother said that it was because she really was a nice person, she just hated Cal and Tiberias. My father walks into the room and embraces Evangeline, then turns to me. "So, what was the answer?"

Mother glares at him. "If anything happens, I'm taking your two most important parts." He shivers, then laughs. "It's a good thing you like those parts!" I make a vomiting noise, and he puts a hand around my shoulders. "Well, squirt, looks like we're going hunting!"


	4. Chapter 3

**A/N: Thank you to the person who posted that constructive criticism. It made me laugh. I have taken it into account and will make an effort to update my previous chapters with some of your advice in mind.**

It's dusk, and Father and I are sitting in a Stilts tavern. Back before Father became king, this place was amazingly poor. Now, not so, but it has a reputation for attracting interesting clientele. Not only Father and I, but Cal used to frequent this tavern. In fact, this is where Mother met Cal, which in turn landed her a job at the Palace, which led to where she is now. It's funny how things change. Now, the tavern is quite popular. Attracting Silvers and Reds of all class, nearly full every night. They could make a lot of money by bringing in live entertainment. The Reds are richer than they used to be, however some people still complain about how silvers get the best jobs. It's because they have superpowers, idiots. Who would you rather want in a construction team? A regular man or someone who can lift tonnes? What about, say, a flower shop? Every time I'd choose the one who can grow flowers with a thought. However, some Reds do have the smarts and ability to make it rich. Not just the newbloods, either. In fact, the third richest man in Norta is a Red with a serious head for economics. How's that for inequality? At least enough of the Reds have been happy with the changes that we shouldn't get another Scarlet Guard for hundreds of years, even if other people start getting blood like mine. Statistically, there should be at least one more, a newblood having children with a Silver. We can rule Shade out of a possible parent – He's hooked with the ex-revolution leader, Farley. He persuaded Mother and Father to let her go, and now she's one of our leading military strategists. That brings up a thought. What did happen when the King and Queen found out that Shade was a member of the guard? I voice my question to my father, and he chuckles. "Well, Mare actually knew he was Scarlet Guard for a while. That's one of the reasons she wanted to join up". Father sees the confusion on my face. "Yes, your mother and I were originally part of the Scarlet Guard. However, we later quit. We dismantled the Scarlet Guard relatively easily, due to our new Red laws. So it was a simple matter to simply offer Shade a job". Well, that does explain a lot. But there is one more thing. "If the Guard was easily disabled, why was Farley going to be executed?" "Farley killed people. It wasn't until Shade told us that Farley was under orders, and that the Guard was in other regions as well, that we let her go. We have an alliance with the Guard now, and give them free movement to help liberate the other regions. However, their actions have slowed down, since they realised you just need good people on the throne". He finishes his drink and stands up. "Come on. We got some deer to hunt."

We're crouched in the forest, fifty yards away from a deer. Father quietly hands me a rifle. "We're not using our powers here. That's what training's for". Sneaking through the underbrush like this makes my heart race. This is fun! Just me and my father, doing some regular father-son activities that don't involve running kingdoms or shooting fire from our hands. We're close now, and it's amazing it doesn't notice us. I lift the rifle, and aim through the holo-scope. Suddenly my chest clenches up. The deer in my sights, helpless. I at least want it to have a chance. Before I can stop myself, I throw a rock. The deer darts away. As it runs, I lift the rifle and pull the trigger. Slow and steady, like Father taught me. It collapses. A perfect hit. I walk over to my prize, afraid of looking at my father, but he claps me on the back. Huh? I look at him and he's beaming. "What you did… you gave it a fair chance to escape. That wasn't cold-blooded murder. That was an honorable kill. I'm proud of you". He ruffles my hair and I beam. Praise like that from a man like my father? Priceless. We tie the deer up and carry it to our camp, two tents and a campfire. I get to work making a spit, and Father clicks his fingers and the fire lights. No matter how many times I see him do it, or even do it myself, it still amazes me. One second there's nothing and the next, there's a force of chaos and destruction, completely under his control. As we cook the deer I think about what he said. About the difference between cold-blooded murder and an honorable kill. Things like that… That's the difference between a man like Cal and my Father. Cal had a reputation for being ruthless. Mother was horrified about the way he hunted down some rogue Guard members, with the ferocity he would use to kill his most sworn enemies. Even bound, powerless, he gave them no mercy. That's why Cal on the throne would have ended in disaster. We eat our prize, and it isn't half bad. Though I guess if it were undercooked, well… that's not hard to fix. It's a refreshing change from the air-cured ham be have at the castle.

I'm woken up by a roar. It's the middle of the night, and there's what sounds like a bear attacking the camp. I rush outside and stare. It's huge. But my father is nowhere to be found. The bear charges me and I realize it's things like this that my training has prepared me for. As it's about to reach me, I jump and I'm on its back. I flail, off balance, and my hand grips the bear's fur. My lightning is unleashed, twisting through the bear, throwing me off. I try to burn it and nothing happens. I can't concentrate. I'm too scared. So I do what I've been practicing for all my life. Calm. Let it go. I let out another blast of lightning straight into its head. The bear stops moving. I killed it. I, someone who has never properly fought in his life, killed a massive bear. My father crashes through the trees, sees me, and gasps. "I heard – only gone for – your mother will-"

I hold up my hand. "Don't worry, Dad. I won't let Mom kill you yet!" He sees the bear, and realizes what I've done. "You killed the bear?"

"Yeah… but I was scared. I forgot how to do anything. All I could do was electrocute it."

He smiles. "It's okay. You aren't a warrior. It's just not in your nature. And think of how proud your mother will be."

I've been confined to my room for 3 days. My punishment isn't as bad as Father's, however. Mother isn't even talking to him. I can tell she isn't really angry, though. Just relieved that my worst injury was a bruised leg from hitting the ground. And, hey, I did kill a bear. Wait till Bree and Tramy hear this story.


	5. Chapter 4

It's been three weeks since the disastrous hunting trip, and Mother's still mad at me. I asked her once, in a fit of rage, if she would prefer it if I did nothing. She told me to go to my room. That makes no sense! Why doesn't she think about this logically? At least some people are on my side. Apart from Bree and Tramy, who think the story is hilarious, Aunty Evangeline and Grandmother are on my side. At least THEY are using logic. I'm still restricted to the Summer Palace, but at least I'm allowed to 'move around the grounds' which translates to 'find something amazingly stupid and fun that still doesn't break the rules'. So here I am, perched on the roof of the dining hall, watching people scurry below like ants. It's funny, though slightly tiresome, but it helps pass the time until Jay arrives. I don't even notice him appear next to me until he taps my shoulder and I nearly fall through the skylight. I smile at him and he silently waves, slightly nervous. He's always nervous around me. I once asked him why, and he gulped and vanished. Weird. He's known me for all of his short life, and he looks up to me. I am twice his age, after all. Heck, I'm his cousin. He is only seven, though, and I do tend to go wild on my displays of power. I grab his hand and we're no longer standing on the roof, but in a tree in one of the gardens. He puts a finger to his mouth and motions down, and I take a look and see her.

She's in a flowing white dress, standing next to her mother, softly humming to herself. Even from this distance the music takes my breath away, and I nearly fall out of the tree. Corianne. We grew up together, but even so, being with her… I let out a low whistle and she slightly inclines her head in my direction, before tapping her mother on the shoulder and saying a few words. Sara Skonos nods and waves in our direction, and she walks over and hoists herself up into the tree. "Hello, boys," she says, her voice rich and vibrant. I could listen to it for hours. And would probably have to, if she ever forced me to do something. "Where are we going today?"

Jay grins and is about to speak, before I remember. "I can't leave the palace. Mother's orders." Corianne sighs and looks me in the eyes. "Sorry about this. It will be fine." She's absolutely right. Mother wouldn't know, right? My head clears and I shake it. "No, no. You can't do that to me, Cor. She can tell where I am. Always. I give off a large amount of electrical residue or something. You aren't singing me into trouble this time."

She sighs. "Fine. What do we do, then?"

Jay pipes up in his quiet voice. "Dad got me some moving pictures. From the old, old days. We could go watch some of those? Mom's trying to set up the machine right now."

Corianne and I nod in unison, and we're standing in a large side room next to an unperturbed Farley, who shoos us away from the contraption she's working on. "Go sit over there."  
We shuffle over to a row of seats set up against the wall, and sit down. Corianne the history nerd says, "You know, they used to watch the moving pictures with popcorn." Jay sighs and disappears for a few seconds, returning with a bag of seeds. Not quite the popcorn that they used to have, but close. I hold my hand out over the bag and the seeds inside start loudly popping, causing Farley to yell at us to shut up. A few minutes later, and the bag of popcorn is perched on my lap, Corianne and Jay leaning in to grab handfuls.

A few other people trickle in – Uncle Shade, Aunt Evangeline, Bree, Gisa, some other nobles, and Farley manages to start a picture up. It's not particularly good, but none of us have ever seen anything like it. Sure, the picture is terrible, and the sound is off, but this… This stuff is old. At least a thousand years. And while none of us have any idea why there's a talking mouse fighting a bulldog, it's still entertaining.

It's been two hours, and the picture finally finishes. We think we know some semblance of the plot, but we still aren't sure why the duck wears a sailor uniform. It's animated, too. That's something, at least. We're about to start another one before practical Gisa checks the time, and we all scurry off to the dining hall for dinner.

I'm sitting near the head of the table, absently curling some fancy pasta around my fork, while Bree and Tramy next to me attempt to humor the rest of the guests. While there are many, they're doing their job. I think I even see Mother smile a few times. Corianne's across from me along with her father Julian – Sara's busy working, so she couldn't make it – and beside me at the head of the table sit my parents, with their chief advisor perched behind them. Shade doesn't eat with the rest of us, so he's content to stand behind my parents. He finds fun in exploring different cuisines around the world, but that doesn't stop him from slipping down next to Jay and Farley every few minutes. I'm not listening to the conversation until I hear the word 'bear' and my head jerks up as Tramy starts on the story of me heroically, singlehandedly fighting off a bear with nothing but a paling knife and my own wits. Corianne rolls her eyes at me as they attempt to out-exaggerate each other, and I grin back until Bree asks for my input.  
"Well, if you must know, I didn't use a paling knife," I start, before seeing Bree's pleading look and relenting. "I used a stick I found on the ground by the river." I join in with my horrendous retelling of the story, embellished with several epic fight scenes involving jamming the bear's jaw open, and I notice Mother's tight-lipped grimace has faded into a soft smile. I guess that means she isn't really mad. Father sees, and throws an arm around her shoulder and she laughs openly as he whispers something into her ear. The story is over now, and the entertainment has shifted to other focuses: Namely, pin the metal dart on the Shade. He's grabbed some meat off Evangeline's plate, and she's trying to gut him for it. She starts getting more frenzied and angry, yelling curses, and Shade realizes he's in trouble – people rarely see Evangeline's violent side anymore – and hides behind the Queen. Evangeline sighs, the glimpse of anger quickly erased, and light-heartedly promises to get him back for it. He laughs, and the conversation turns to more mundane topics. The short reprieve of excitement has faded, and now it's just a normal night.


End file.
